A little departure from the norm today, as I chat about my current reads-in-progress. I’m trying to prioritise reading, as a way to spend less time on my phone. It’s as simple as taking my book downstairs in the morning, so it’s more to hand throughout the day when I want to sit for 5 minutes. It stops me reaching for my phone on autopilot.
I’m pretty good these days at not mindlessly scrolling social media, I have a 30 minute timer set for Instagram and very rarely go over it. I just don’t find Instagram anywhere near as inspiring and joyful as I used to, which is naturally limiting how much time I want to spend on it anyway. I have far less motivation to post any more, especially since deciding to focus more on improving my writing. The Bare Minimum Artist’s Way has helped me recognise that I want to be a writer, not a content creator. I’ve definitely conflated the two in my head in the recent past.
Bonus content! Bare minimum Artist's Way
I’m so far behind Internet People and their Bare Minimum Artist’s Way series. I think they’re on week 8, so I’m trailing almost a month late. I’ve been prioritising garden projects in my down time, and consequently have so many other things I’ve been neglecting. As I sit here on the sofa, I’m looking at 3 cushions for which I’ve been planning on sewing new covers, plu…
The problem with using social media to build a following, is you’re learning and practicing a lot of skills and techniques that aren’t necessarily then applicable to your ultimate goal. Of course there are transferrable skills, but there are also a lot of potentially time-wasting rabbit holes to provide distraction. Making reels is not quick! In the end, my aim isn’t to build a huge following on Instagram and then sell them stuff, as is the business model for so many influencers. I would like to earn some kind of living from writing, in whatever form that may take. It’s fun to make and watch reels, don’t get me wrong, I love and appreciate the creativity of others. But posting on social media is ultimately not serving my longer term goal of becoming a better writer, then being paid for that skill.
I’ve read that having a large following on social media can help you when it comes time to finding a publisher for your work. It makes sense that having an online presence can help with discoverability. I’m not sure how to square that circle yet to be honest, do I need to maintain some kind of presence on Instagram or is it enough to be posting regularly on Substack? I don’t use Twitter, Facebook, Threads or any other form of social media, so will Instagram really make that much difference? Surely authors are published who have no or minimal presence on social media? These questions feel like I’m getting ahead of myself, you have to walk before you can run after all. The only way to become a better writer is to write, not to create video content.
Back to the original topic of this podcast - my current reads. Another way to become a better writer is to read widely, and that’s something I can definitely prioritise right now.
A Court of Thorns and Roses series - currently reading A Court of Frost and Starlight
Persuasion by Jane Austen - reading alongside listening to Pod & Prejudice
I have a lot of thoughts on the fantasy smut genre (if that’s what it’s called) but I need to come back to that topic, once I’ve worked out some more coherent thoughts! In the meantime, enjoy your reading wherever you are.
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